On A Forgotten Odyssey site thre is a Link to Kresy where item 4 is
what appears a copy of an article in the Daily Colonist of Victoria,
Canada, titled "Murderous Bands of Ukrainian Terrorists Slay Polish
Refugees", dated Sept.21,1939.
In the last paragraph it states "The Ukrainians took possesion of
Lwow,Stryj and Stanislawow,reports reaching the frontier said, and
for a time set up their own government."
I was born and lived my first 20 years in Stryj, and was there in
September 1939. On September 6th Germans bombed railway station,
bridge and marketplace. On the 8th they bombed the same targets and
houses along my street. On the 10th, a mass of disorganised Polish
soldiers streamed through Stryj,most on foot, some in army horse
drawn carts, some in peasants carts and some on bicycles.Most of them
were armed and there were no officers visible.On Sept.12th German
motorized infantry arrived and occupied Stryj and the two army
barracks without a shot being fired.The Germans stayed Stryj untill
Sept.19th when the Soviet Red Army replaced them.Ukrainians never
took possesion of Stryj or set up their own government. In my opinion
it is a gross mis-information and should be disseminated .
As far as Lwow is concerned ,Germans surrounded it on Sept.12th.
Polish Army under the command of Gen.W. Langner defended Lwow untill
Sept.19th when Soviet Army replaced German Army.On Sept.23rd Gen.
Langner surrendered the city of Lwow to the Soviet Marshal Timoshenko.
I have never heard that Ukrainians took possesion of Lwow.
The only unpleasant incedent occurred on Sept. 11th in the village of
Duliby, 4 km. south of Stryj where some soldiers got into argument
with the villigers over a stolen pig, and the soldiers tossed
grenades into some houses and shot at the escaping peasants.
This is what I have observed and remember.
R. Skulski
